Improvement in forks, hoes



anta site @anni didn.

SAMUEL4 SHEBLE, QF,v PHILADELPHIA', PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent No.113,212, dated March 28, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN FORKS, HOES,'&c.

The Schedule referred to ln these Letters Patent and making part of lthe same.

Description of the Accompanying Drawing.

Figure 1 is a front view, partly in section, of a hay or manure-fork secured to its handle in accordance with my invention; and

Figure 2, a section on the line 12,1g. 1.

v General Description The forkA differs in uo way from those of ordinary construct-ion.' It has the usual steel prongs a a a a,

Aand tang b, for attachment to the handle B, which is provided with' a terrule, d, having projecting-plates e e, one on each side of the said handle, and secured to the same by a rivet, f.

In securing a forkto the handle in this class of implements it has been'usual to drive the latter entirely through the fel-'rule d, then drive the tang b into 'the wood, and secure it by a. rivet, h, passed through tl'fe plates e of the ferrule. This mode of fasteningthe tang has proved to be more orvless insecure, owing, partly, to the yielding property of the wood, but principally io the tendency of the wood to rot where itis in contact with the tang.

'.lo obviate this evil, I prepare the ferrule in the following manner before it is fitted to the handle:

Using a piece of iron ofthe same shape as the tang, I introduce it into thevferrule-,in a central position, and closing the ferrule' below, pour molten metal or alloy into it from above until it reaches.` to about the point indicated by the line a: x. The alloy which I have used is known as white metal, the'latter being easily fused, but beingcomparatively hard when cool. i

The withdrawal-of the iron from the metal leaves an oriiicefor the reception of the tang, which can be driven to its place andvsecured by therivet h,'tlie handle being driven into the ferrule as far as-the metal, and afterward secured by the rivet f.

The ferrule is slotted at the end, so that it will project n each side of and 'embrace the body t of the fork, so that the tang alone will not be subjected to the strains resulting from the use of the fork. 1

It will be evident, without further description, that the attachment of the fork to the handle is rendered much more secure by the presence of a solid mass of metal contained in the ferrule and surrounding" the tang.

plicable to hoes, drags, and similarv implements as to hay and manure-forks.

Claim.

witnesses.

SAML. SHEBLE.

Witnesses y CRAs. E. Scanlon, F. B. RICHARDS.

It will also be evident that my invention is as ap 

